Container opener



Ap 1935- D. F. SAMPSON ET AL 1,996,550

CONTAINER OPENER Filed April 13, 1933 Patented Apr. 2, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,996,550 CONTAINER OPENER tion of New Jersey Application April 13, 1933, Serial No. 665,906

7 Claims.

This invention relates in general to container opening devices and more particularly to a punch opener for producing a substantial pouring opening in containers having projecting end scams or joints.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a container opener which at one stroke or turning movement produces a substantial pouring opening in a wall of a container through which the contents, be they fluid or granular, may be readily dispensed.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a container opening punch or cutter adapted to work on the lever principle and which employs a projecting end joint of a container, for example, the end seam, as a fulcrum or pivot point about which the cutter may be rocked into opening position in a single arcuate movement.

Another important object of the invention is the provision of such a rocker punch whose operating parts are all adapted to be formed out of a single piece of steel or other suitable material in a few simple die operations, and which, because of its simplicity of construction, can be produced inexpensively and automatically with a view to supplying the public with an efiicient opening tool at small cost.

Still another important object of the invention is the provision of such a punch opener which is adapted to produce a substantial and complete pouring opening quickly at one arcuate movement of the opener. While such rapidly and completely created opening is desirable in connection with containers filled with most products, dry or wet, from the standpoint of the time element, it lends itself exceptionally well to and solves a real problem in the opening of containers filled with effervescent liquids such as beer, where a quick and adequate opening will prevent ebullition and spilling of the contents.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevational view showing the inner side of the cutter punch;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the cutter punch edgewise;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an end part of a container with the cutter punch pivotally positioned upon the end seam ready to start the cutting operation;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of container andpunch and showing the latter in finished cutting position; and I Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a container showing the opening produced by the cutter punch of the present invention.

To illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention the drawing shows a punch opener formed from a single plate of tool steel or other suitable material. It comprises a body or handle part II of substantially rectangular configuration and cross section and of a thickness and width which insures sufficient strength and weight without superfluous bulk. The handle I I is defined by an inner surface or wall l2, an outer surface or wall l3 and side edges I4, which may be rounded to eliminate sharp corners which might injure the hand of the user.

At the bend l5, the handle ll merges into a concavo-convex container rib engaging pivot member or hump l6, which provides a rounded recess l1 adapted to receive and loosely pivot upon a container rim. Referring to Fig. I, it will be observed that the member I6 is or may be formed arcuately between the lines l9l9, transversely to its convexity, to conform to the arcuate periphery of a circular container rim. The convexity of the hump l6 and its arcuation defined by lines Ill-I9 are, however, gradual enough to provide a recess H which will fit over a straight sided rim of a container as well as a circular rim. The rounded recess l'l, furthermore, has sufiicient range to receive and freely pivot upon the rims of different kinds of containers.

The member H5, at l8, merges into the cutter punch proper. This punch member is curved or hooked inwardly (Fig. 3) from the plane of the outer surface l3 of the handle II, and comprises a rectangular body portion 2|, terminating into an angular cutting member 22. The member 22 has two out edges 23 beginning at the terminal points 24 of the' side edges of the body portion 2| and converging into a sharp cutting point 25, which is first to come into cutting operation.

Cooperating with the pivot member IS, the cutter punch is also formed with another container rim engaging member or lug 26. The lug 26 is preferably struck up, adjacent a central longitudinal line of the cutter punch, (Fig. 1) partially from the metal of the handle II and partially 5 from the metal of the hump 16. One end remains integral with the handle H and the free end is severed from the hump I 6. It is bent inwardly from the line of connection with the handle and is inwardly and thence outwardly curved. Its free end is beveled to a sharp edge and terminates substantially in spaced alignment with the axis of the pivot member l6 and is adapted to engage the underside of a projecting container rim.

To exemplify a preferred application of the present invention, Figs. 3, 4 and 5 illustrate a well known type of container which may be opened by means of the cutter punch. This container comprises a body 21 and a top end 28 secured to the body in any suitable manner, as by a double seam 29, which constitutes the top rim or joint of the container. The rim may assume any other suitable form as long as it projects beyond the horizontal plane of the top end 28 and beyond the cylindrical plane of the body so as to provide a fulcrum for the pivot member I 6 and an engaging projection or purchase for the lug 28.

To open a container, the cutter punch is grasped by its handle II and positioned, as shown in Fig. 3, with the recess ll of the hump'IG engaging the top edge of the container rim or seam 29, and with the beveled edge of the lug 26 engaging the bottom edge of the seam. The cutter punch is then rocked pivotally about the container rim, both the handle and the punch proper describing an arcuate path of movement, the former an upward movement and the latter a downward movement, the while the sharp point of the curved punch member begins the cutting operation. Continued rocking movement brings the cut edges 23 into operation and brings the cutter punch to the finished cutting position shown in Fig. 4, where the cut portion 3| of the container wall is shown bent inwardly, outwardly and upwardly under the cutting and pressure force of the curved punch member.

As shown in Fig. 5, a pouring opening 32, of a shape corresponding to the shape of the parts 2l-22 of the punch member is thus readily produced by one quick arcuate rocking movement of the cutter punch. Obviously, the size of the opening can be controlled by the size of the punch member, and the latter can be made of any dimensions within apparent limits.

The end of the handle I l, remote from the punch member, is preferably rounded at 33 to eliminate sharp corners.

Inward of the part 33 the handle II is provided with a circular aperture 34 which permits the cutter punch to be strung on a wire or hung upon a nail.

Adjacent the aperture 34 the metal of the handle II is cut away along a slanting line 35 from an edge I 4 towards the longitudinal center line, thence outward and downward along a curved line to form a rounded recess 36 and a hook like projection 37, adapted for removal of the well known crown cork bottle cap. This addition does not constitute a part of the present invention, but is merely a convenience for the user of the cutter punch.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

We claim:

1. A device for producing a pouring opening in a container wall, comprising a handle, a punch at one end of said handle having a transverse dimension substantially greater than the thickness of said handle, and non-perforating means between said handle and punch, and struck from said handle on the longitudinal axis thereof, for

engaging under the top rim of a container as a fulcrum to rock said punch inwardly, thereby to cut a portion of a container wall and to defleet inwardly said out portion.

2. A container punch for producing a pouring opening of substantial width in a container wall, comprising a handle, a cutter punch at an end of said handle, a non-perforating lug struck from and depending from said handle and adapted to pivotally engage under the top rim of said container to serve as a fulcrum for said cutter punch to produce a substantial pouring opening in a wall of said container when said handle is raised in an arcuate movement.

3. A container punch, comprising a handle, a punch at one end of said handle and means formed integrally with said handle and conforming to the contour of the top rim of a container for pivotally engaging above said rim the while said punch is rocked inwardly, thereby to cut a substantial pouring opening in a wall of said container and deflect inwardly the walls of said pouring opening, said handle having a depending lug member disposed in a plane substantially at right angles to the plane of the handle and at the longitudinal axis thereof to engage under said top rim and serve as a fulcrum for the rocking movement of the punch.

4. A container punch, comprising a handle plate terminating in an arcuately curved cutter punch and a lug struck from and depending from said plate and spaced inwardly from said cutter punch for engaging under a container seam while said punch is rocked over said seam to cut and deflect inwardly a wall portion adjacent said seam.

5. A container punch, comprising a handle plate terminating in a cutter punch having cut edges inclined towards a container wall to be cut, and rounded container rim engaging means, and a lug depending centrally from and substantially at, right angles to the plane of said handle plate adapted to engage under said rim, said punch being adapted to be pivotally rocked about said rim to produce a substantial pouring opening adjacent said rim.

6. A device for producing a substantial pouring opening in an end wall of a liquid container having projecting end rims, comprising in combination, a one-piece metal plate, one end of said plate being formed into a handle, the other end being formed into a curved cutting blade, a curved part intermediate said handle and said blade conforming to the shape of the container end rim and adapted to be pivotally rocked over said rim, and fulcrum means intermediate the side edges of said plate to engage under said rim, said blade severing a substantial portion of the end wall of the container to be opened and pushing said severed portion against the side wall of the container when said handle is rocked from a position below said end wall to a position thereabove.

7. A device for producing a substantial pouring opening in an end wall of a liquid container having projecting end rims, comprising in combination, a one-piece metal plate, one end of said plate being formed into a handle, the other end being formed into a curved cutting blade, a part between said handle and said blade being curved beyond the planes of said handle and said blade and adapted to pivotally engage and tainer to be opened and pushing said severed rock over said rim, and fulcrum means struck portion against the side wall of the container out of said plate adjacent said curved part and when said handle is rocked from a position bealong the longitudinal center of said plate to low said end wall to a position thereabove. 5 engage under said rim, said blade severing a DEWI'II F. SAMPSON.

substantial portion of the end wall of the con- JOHN M. HOTHERSAIL. 

